Keeping young minds engaged can be a challenge for anyone, especially on weekends and holidays.
But don’t fret! Here at City Sightseeing Oxford, we’ve laid out some of our favourite things for youngsters to do when visiting the city to help make their day out truly memorable!
Marvellous Museums
While it’s always good to get your child learning, the key ingredient is to have fun while doing it, leaving them wanting to come back for more. Oxford’s museums are all excellent opportunities to ignite lifelong passions and cause imaginations to run wild.
Whole new worlds can be unlocked while exploring the Ashmolean in the ancient artefacts of different civilisations. The art of these different cultures, from paintings to sculptures, shows different ways of thinking from throughout the world and time. The museum also has plenty of stuff to entertain and educate kids of all ages! Follow book an interactive Ashmolean Adventure, grab an Explorer Kit for stickers and family adventures or check out one of the creative activities and handling sessions that the museum runs frequently. See FAMILIES | Ashmolean Museum for more details. Walking the collections with paper and a pencil can really inspire the imagination to create some gallery-worthy art of your own!
Jump into the pages of a book at The Story Museum and get immersed in some of your favourite fables. With interactive exhibits, regular workshops, and create your own adventures, there’s plenty to do as you explore 1001 stories throughout the museum. Be sure to keep an eye out for the adventurous time-travelling mice who’ve left the Mouseum phonebox on Penbrooke Street to seek inspiration and adventure in the Galleries. Meanwhile, Small Worlds is the perfect spot for the museum’s youngest visitors. A land of nursery rhymes and picture books, it’s a great way to stir up young imaginations and help encourage a love of reading from early on. Be sure to check out the cafe, serving tasty treats and delicious drinks to those who have worked up an appetite.
The Pitt Rivers Museum is a look back through human history, with each piece having its own story to tell. You could easily spend hours here, browsing through the collection and discovering how ancient peoples went about their everyday lives. The museum also provides plenty of activities and trails for kids to follow, just ask the lovely people at the information desk or check out their website. Going back even further in time, we have the Museum of Natural History. Connected to the Pitt Rivers, colossal creatures from the past come to life in these astounding displays of fossils and minerals gathered from all over the world. This museum not only unveils the prehistoric world before your eyes but also gives a fascinating insight into how our world works. Come on, who doesn’t love dinosaurs? When you’re finished at the museums, be sure to check out the University Parks right next door, they’re the perfect place for little legs to run off some steam, or stop for a picnic and enjoy some living nature.
Journey Planner: Click here to enter your starting location and find the best bus to get you to the Ashmolean, Story Museum, Pitt Rivers, Museum of Natural History and the University Parks.
Exciting Entertainment
From stage to silver screen, Oxford has plenty to keep family members of all ages entertained. Oxford is home to some fantastic cinemas with all the latest releases, so it won’t be a challenge to keep budding filmaholics gripped to their seats. In the City Centre, The Curzon offers a range from blockbusters to independent releases, luxury seating and restaurant-style dining. They also offer Kids Club for guests between 1 and 12-years-old to watch their favourite films in a fun and interactive screening, all at a discounted price. The Baby Club is designed for those with children under 12 months old, with increased lighting and reduced volume, with coffee and popcorn included in your ticket price it’s a great way to get out with your little ones.
A little further outside of the centre, you can find the VUE cinema located near the Kassam Stadium. A part of the Ozone Leisure Park, it’s a great opportunity to make a full day out of your cinema trip. Head to Hollywood Bowl for the arcade or to have some family fun on the bowling lanes, or really get into the swing of things at Gravitee Golf. With a whole host of places to eat and explore, it’s a brilliant option for those wet-weather days.
If it’s something more theatrical you’re after, take a look at the Oxford Playhouse and New Theatre to see what live shows they have on offer during your visit. From West End-worth productions to smaller independent shows, there is always something to appeal to all the family.
Journey Planner: Click here to enter your starting location and find the best bus to get you to the Curzon Cinema, Ozone Leisure Park, New Theatre and Playhouse.
Daring Day Adventures
There is so much to do and experience in Oxfordshire, from the educational to something a bit more unusual.
Millets Farm Centre is a great day out for all ages, with a superb soft play for tots and fantastic falconry shows throughout the day. Say hello to the friendly farm animals in Millets Animal Walkway, then stop by the Farmhouse Kitchen for everything from pizzas and burgers to coffee and cake. Afterwards, why not pop into the farm shop to pick up something tasty for tea.
Want something a bit more unusual? Check out Crocodiles of the World! Smile at a crocodile, say ‘see ya later’ to a gator and more. The park is kept at a tropical climate all year round, so it’s a perfect escape when the weathers miserable. Crocodiles of the World also offers talks, feedings and keeper experiences!
Train fan or not, Didcot Railway Centre’s 21-acre living museum makes a fun change from the usual family outing. Enjoy a ride in an old-fashioned, genuine steam train while you chug along one of the demonstration lines, with unlimited trips included on Steam Days. Then go for an explore round the museum and old train yard. Some trains and buildings might just look familiar. 3822 is a steam train that was featured in a Queen video, and parts of the site were used in Paddington 2, just to name a couple of its screen appearances. Kids are sure to have a great time watching the trains come in and out, and they’ll have a great story to share at school about their ride on a steam train!
Journey Planner: Click here to enter your starting location and find the best bus to get you to Millets Farm, Crocodiles of the World and Didcot Railway Centre.
Terrific Tours
Hop on and hop off a City Sightseeing Tour for an easy way to explore Oxford and give little legs a well-earned break. Pick up a free booklet for younger passengers and see Oxford in a whole new way. Pop in provided headphones for the audio tour; there’s even a special kids tour guide! Mia Cloo loves Oxford, her Uncle Charles is a professor at the University, and she needs our young visitors’ help to uncover a magic word and, according to Uncle Charles, this word has special powers…
Prefer to stretch your legs? There’s a great range of guided tours for all ages! Explore the dreaming spires on the Stepping Through Oxford tour, included in your bus ticket, or upgrade and follow your knowledgeable tour guide around the colleges on the Town & Gown tour, perfect for film enthusiasts of all ages.
Included in many of the tours is the chance to head up Carfax Tower. An iconic landmark in itself, Carfax rewards those who climb the 99 steps with breathtaking panoramic views over Oxford. Kids will feel like the kings and queens of the castle, though it’s worth noting that they should be accompanied by an adult at all times, and the tower is not suitable for visitors under 5. Once they’ve conquered Carfax, George & Danver’s is in view to grab a delicious ice cream afterwards. A local staple, ‘G&D’s’ serve pizza bagels, salads and sandwiches but are far more known for their homemade ice-cream. With ever-changing flavours, ice-cream cakes and cookie sandwiches, it’s an absolute local favourite.
Journey Planner: Click here to enter your starting location and find the best bus to get you to Carfax Tower and G&Ds.
